321: Chapter 321 First Test of Skill, Weapon Displays its Power

The morning light had just crested the mountain, and the wind in the West Valley still carried the chill of the night.

Chen Xiaodao stood in the center of the clearing, gripping the longsword that had just been fitted with the "Magic-Tech Core-I," his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Do we really have to test it now?" He looked up at Chen Wuwang. "There isn't even a target in this place. We're relying on that broken stone?"

"That Dark Iron Rock three hundred meters away has a hardness comparable to a Level 5 Magical Artifact." Chen Wuwang stood three steps away, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing with blue light as it projected a stream of data. "If you can't split it, it means the Fusion failed. If you split it, we're having extra meat for lunch today."

Chen Tiezhu was squatting nearby, clutching a detector in his hand. He muttered while scanning, "Interface temperature is normal, core frequency is stable at 78%, green light output isn't jittering... It should... it should be fine, right?"

"What do you mean 'should'?" Bai Ling said softly, her fingertips touching the ground, her brow furrowing slightly. "I can feel it breathing—like a forest that has just woken up."

Chen Xiaodao took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He stopped thinking about sword techniques, slashes, or momentum, and instead remembered the melody Bai Ling had hummed last night, like wind blowing through leaves, like roots piercing through soil.

He turned his wrist gently, pointing the sword tip downward, and slowly lifted it.

"Hum—"

A green glow gradually rose on the sword body; it wasn't an explosive brightness, but rather something seeping out bit by bit from within, like a pulse being awakened.

"It's coming!" Chen Tiezhu stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the instrument.

The green light climbed along the sword spine, condensing into a thin line at the tip of the blade. Chen Xiaodao opened his eyes, his gaze calm—devoid of killing intent or hesitation, possessing only a near-devout focus.

He swung the sword.

There was no roar, no explosion, only a cyan-green arc of light cutting through the air, so fast that its trajectory was almost invisible.

Three hundred meters away, the Dark Iron Rock, which stood as tall as a three-story building, cracked open with a boom. The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror, and fine wood-element Spiritual Qi patterns emerged on the edges, looking as if tree roots had crawled across it, slowly moving for a few seconds before dissipating.

"Holy shit..." Chen Tiezhu's mouth was open wide enough to fit an egg, and the detector in his hand dropped to the ground with a "clatter."

Bai Ling remained stunned in place, her fingertips still on the ground, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself. "It... it has acknowledged its master."

Chen Xiaodao himself was also stunned, looking down at the sword. The green glow on the blade had faded, but that feeling of "please" remained, as if a little spirit lived inside the sword, ready to lend a hand at any moment.

"Do it again." Chen Wuwang suddenly spoke, his voice calm. "Change the angle, close the distance to two hundred meters, and aim for that granite rock on the left."

"Do you think this is chopping wood?" Chen Tiezhu snapped back to reality and grabbed Chen Xiaodao's arm. "That was just luck! What if it explodes this time? This is your left hand!"

"Then let it explode." Chen Xiaodao shook him off, a grin spreading across his face. "You said my left arm's Mechanical prosthetic limb has been in use for three years and should have been replaced long ago. This is the perfect opportunity to upgrade it."

"You brat—!" Chen Tiezhu pointed at his face, his beard trembling with anger.

"Tiezhu." Chen Wuwang walked over and patted his shoulder. "Let him do it. Didn't you say the data was completely stable? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of an accident... I'm afraid... afraid that this thing actually works." Chen Tiezhu said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the sword.

"I've been practicing Artifact Refining for thirty years. Heat control, Spiritual Qi, rune carvings—which step wasn't tested with my own life? Now, all of a sudden, a hummed melody, a broken stone, and a chip can make a sword 'please' magic? I... I'm a bit dazed."

Chen Wuwang glanced at him without speaking, simply raising his hand as his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye scanned the residual energy tracks once more.

A moment later, he nodded. "The energy distribution on the cross-section is uniform, with no residual oscillation, and the core output curve is smooth. It's not a coincidence; it's controllable."

"Then let's do it again!" Chen Xiaodao took a few steps back, adjusted his stance, took three deep breaths, and swung the sword again.

This time, the green light condensed faster, the Sword Qi was slightly lower, and he slashed diagonally.

Two hundred meters away, the granite rock cracked open in response. The cut was just as smooth, and the Spiritual Qi patterns lingered even longer than last time.

"It worked!" Bai Ling couldn't help but jump up, then immediately covered her mouth, her eyes shining like stars.

For the third strike, Chen Xiaodao rushed forward fifty meters and swept the sword blade horizontally, aiming at a low rock pier on the right.

He used seventy percent of his strength for this strike. The Sword Qi brought out a spiral-shaped green light; the rock pier exploded into fragments, and the ground cracked with spiderweb-like fissures.

"Stop." Chen Wuwang suddenly said.

Chen Xiaodao sheathed his sword, panting, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes were bright.

"Three times, different distances, different angles, the power was consistent." Chen Wuwang walked to the first Dark Iron Rock that had been split and reached out to touch the cross-section.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye analyzed it rapidly, and he muttered, "Energy dissipation rate is below 3%, transmission efficiency is 91.6%, two percentage points higher than estimated."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "The power of this weapon is astonishing; it will become another Sharp Weapon of the Chen family."

No one spoke. It was too shocking. The scene just now didn't look like sword practice; it looked like the beginning of some new era.

"I have to write this down." Chen Tiezhu suddenly squatted down, pulled a tattered notebook from his chest, and opened it with trembling hands.

"Name: Magic-Tech Core-I; Carrier: Chen Xiaodao's custom longsword; Fusion method: Natural resonance guidance; Combat performance: Three hits out of three, destructive power equivalent to a full-strength strike of an Early Stage Soul Transformation expert..."

"Don't write it so formally." Bai Ling squatted beside him and said softly, "Just write—Today, we taught magic how to shake hands."

"Nonsense!" Chen Tiezhu didn't even look up. "This is technology! This is engineering! It's not a fairy tale!"

"But it's gentle." Bai Ling looked at the sword. "Previous Magical Artifacts were all about seizing, grabbing, suppressing, and exploding. This one is about 'please.' Don't you think... that's very rare?"

Chen Xiaodao looked down at the sword hilt, his fingers gently brushing over the embedded chip. That bit of green glow was still there, faint, yet stable.

"It doesn't reject me," he said. "Instead, it's like it's helping me find the rhythm."

Chen Wuwang walked over, took the sword, and carefully checked the connection port. The seal was intact, there were no signs of thermal expansion, and the core temperature was normal.

"Next step, optimize the output algorithm." He handed the sword back. "I want it to be able to complete charging within three seconds and support five consecutive releases."

"Are you crazy?" Chen Tiezhu looked up. "It's already Heaven-Defying as it is! You want five consecutive shots?"

"Not enough." Chen Wuwang shook his head. "This is just the beginning. I want it to be able to be fitted into any weapon: swords, guns, bows, cannons, and even... mechs."

"Mechs?" Chen Xiaodao was taken aback. "You mean to let mechs also 'please' magic?"

"Why not?" Chen Wuwang sneered. "Others use Spiritual Qi to drive it; we use data to guide it. Others rely on talent; we rely on replication. If Xiao Dao can use it today, any recruit can use it tomorrow."

"But magic isn't code..." Bai Ling hesitated.

"Now it is." Chen Wuwang raised his hand and pointed at the chip. "We recorded its 'voice' and stored it in the machine. As long as the frequency is correct, anyone can release it."

Chen Tiezhu was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Damn it, I've hated two types of people my whole life—one is a Genius who wins without effort; the other is a madman who insists on doing what is clearly impossible. You are now... a madman and a Genius combined."

"Likewise." Chen Wuwang patted his shoulder. "If you hadn't dared to use a ceramic base with a graphene membrane, this thing would have exploded eight hundred times by now."

Bai Ling stood up, her fingertips touching the ground again. She closed her eyes and said softly, "I can feel it... the wood-element Spiritual Qi underground is more active than this morning. They... they have also been awakened."

"That's only natural." Chen Tiezhu smirked proudly. "We are the first to turn magic into an industrial product! Of course the Spiritual Qi would react!"

"It's not a reaction," Bai Ling shook her head. "It's resonance. They are... responding."

Chen Xiaodao gripped the sword tighter and suddenly smiled. "Then next time, I might not necessarily have to rely on the chip. Perhaps... I might be able to 'please' it myself."

"Forget it." Chen Wuwang turned and walked toward the edge of the clearing, his terminal board glowing in his hand. "Let's finish running the data for your sword first. The test records today are complete; I need to submit them to the System for review tonight."

"You actually believe in that 'heavenly secret instruction'?" Chen Tiezhu followed him.

"If I didn't believe it, would I have survived until now?" Chen Wuwang didn't look back. "Three days later, the Dongshan Mineral Vein appears; within seven days, the Artifact Refining Workshop upgrades—which one hasn't been accurate?"

"But the System doesn't give power," Bai Ling whispered.

"It provides the path." Chen Wuwang stopped and looked at the rising sun at the end of the valley. "Others walk in the dark; we have a map. That's enough."

Chen Xiaodao sheathed his sword and stood still. Sunlight shone on the hilt, and that bit of green glow flickered slightly, as if in response.

Chen Tiezhu was squatting beside a pile of rubble, still recording data, muttering, "It works! It really works!"

Bai Ling stood beside him, her fingertips lightly touching the ground, whispering, "They... have also been awakened."

Chen Wuwang stood in the center of the West Valley, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye closing its blue light, his expression calm, the terminal board in his hand displaying a scrolling waveform.

He said to Chen Tiezhu in a low voice, "Next step, test the output stability in a low-temperature environment."